When you Empty Yourself
"Those who give up their lives for me will have true life."
Luke 09:24
It's a verse that would change your entire life; give you a different perspective. It is about giving up your life, not in vain, but to have true life. May be quite a shocking line for some of us who have been thinking of taking the next big step in our life, standing by the next milestone of life. And you can hear those words clean and clear "Want true life? Give up yours!"
Yes! The million dollar question. "How do I give up my life?"
The whole phrase itself sounds strange, isn't it? "Giving up!"
One of the most interesting theatre exercise I've always enjoyed is the 'empty-refill'. Before getting on to the stage to be the character you are supposed to be in a play, you need to bring in the character within you. And that doesn't happen with a sneeze; it takes effort, time and concentration. It is such a beautiful exercise where you close your eyes and start imagining yourself as a bottle filled with the liquid "you", and you slowly bring down the level all the way from the top to the bottom of your body. Then after few seconds of emptiness, you imagine yourself stepping into a pool filled with the liquid of "the character you are supposed to be", filled with the necessary ingredients. Your imagination keeps confirming you that the liquid is oozing into your body through your legs and you are refilled to the top, slowly and steadily. It is an amazing feeling to realise that you are an entirely different person when you again open your eyes. Wow! What an exercise to teach you how it really happens. Yes, my friend. You need to spend time and put in effort to empty yourself.
Slowly by slowly, let your personal ambitions fade out and let there be a season in your life when you feel that you are empty, totally empty, to be filled by God's purposes. Rather than asking God "what are your plans for me?" let's ask Him "Lord, where am I in your plan?" Let there be an emptiness that leads you towards a total submission.
Isn't it interesting to observe that God wanted Moses to empty himself totally from his royal and aristocratic ambitions, and wanted him to wander in the desert so that Moses was empty enough to be filled by the purpose of leading the nation Israel. Isn't it also amusing to realise that Paul had to become blind, a total cut off from what he could see in this world and that few days of emptiness brought him to a stage where he readily accepted God's purpose in his life to be the messenger to the gentiles. And more than anything, those Gethsemane memories of Jesus; what an emptiness, what a submission. In spite of his call from his body to think of the consequences of the moments coming up, Jesus, in his spirit, empties himself with a total submission to God, so that he gave us this 'true life'. He lived what he preached!
My dear loving friend, today there would be a season emptiness needed in your life, to set aside your personal ambitions and to look up to the Throne of Grace, to be filled by His purposes. Giving up your life may sound weird, but have having 'true life' sounds "wow". But the reality hits you now.
"If you need to have true life, then for sure, you need to give up your life that is filled with your wishes and dreams".
As a friend in Christ, I encourage you to empty yourself, so that God will fill you with His purposes. When you empty yourself, you are giving up your life, and what follows is amazing. God is going to fill you with His 'true life'.
May God bless you.
